English grammar and vocabulary exercises

English tenses Present simple Present continuous Past simple Past continuous Present Perfect simple Present perfect continuous Past perfect Future tenses Imperatives Conditionals (wish, if only) Used to Questions and answers Question and answer forms Question tags Short answers Indirect questions Verbs There is / are Do and make Say and tell Irregular verbs Modal verbs Reported speech Passive Phrasal verbs

Those little words Articles Demonstratives Personal pronouns Prepositions Genitives Quantifiers Relative pronouns Dependent prepositions Words and phrases Idioms Collocations False friends Word pairs Prefixes and suffixes Plurals Alphabet Numbers Comparatives and superlatives Vocabulary study with hangman PET Exam practice Help and model answers for PET exam Just B2 B2 level materials and exam practice Listen and read Listen to grammar

Every now and then, I add new English exercises on the most common grammar structures and vocabulary groups. Study these online exercises now to get a good pass at your school, university or English academy this year! To find more grammar explanations, you can read and listen to our Practising English podcasts...

Tenses

Present simple

• Present simple (guided discovery exercise)
• Affirmative sentences
• Negative sentences
• Question forms
• Question forms with "wh" words
• Affirmative sentences with verb "to be"
• Negative sentences with verb "to be"
• Question forms with verb "to be"
• Question forms with no auxiliary "do" or "does"
• Question forms present simple: with or without auxiliary?
• Short answers (mixed types)
• With frequency adverbs
• Present simple structure (mixed types)

Present continuous

• Present continuous (guided discovery exercise)
• Affirmative sentences
• Negative sentences
• Question forms
• Present continuous for future
• Present continuous (mixed types)
• When we cannot use the "ing" form
• Verbs that take "ing" or simple form

Contrasting present simple and continuous

• Present continuous and present simple (mixed types)
• Present continuous and present simple 2
• Present continuous and present simple 3

 

Contrasting present continuous for future and "will"

• Present continuous (future) "will" (offers)
• Present continuous (future) "will" (predictions, offers)

Past simple

• Past simple (guided discovery exercise)
• Affirmative sentences with verb "to be"
• Negative sentences with verb "to be"
• Question forms with verb "to be"
• Affirmative sentences (regular verbs)
• Negative sentences (regular verbs)
• Question forms (regular verbs)
• Question forms with no auxiliary "did"
• Question forms in past simple: with or without auxiliary?
• Past simple (mixed types)
• Irregular verbs in past simple 1
• Irregular verbs in past simple 2
• Irregular verbs in past simple 3
• Irregular verbs in past simple 4      

Past continuous

• Past continuous (guided discovery exercise)
• Past continuous (mixed types)

Present perfect simple

• Present perfect (guided discovery exercise)
• Present perfect (mixed types)
• Completed actions 1
• Completed actions 2
• From past to present 1
• From past to present 2
• Use of yet and already with present perfect
• Use of for and since with present perfect
• Use of just in present perfect

Present perfect continuous

• Present perfect continuous (guided discovery exercise)
• Use of for and since with present perfect continuous

Contrasting perfect tenses

• Present perfect continuous and present perfect simple (mixed types)

Past perfect simple

• Past perfect compared with past simple
• Past perfect and past simple: choose correct form of the verb
• Past perfect and "already"
• Past perfect and "just"

Tenses to talk about the future

• "Going to" for predictions
• "Going to" for plans
• "Going to"
• Presente continuo y present simple
• "Will" and "going to" (guided discovery exercise)
• "Will" and "going to" (mixed types)
• "Shall" for offering and suggestions

Imperatives

• Giving orders ("come here")
• Negative forms ("don't sit down")
• Softening the imperative ("why don't you...?")

Conditionals

First conditional

• "If" clauses, present simple and "will"
• "If" clauses, present simple and mixed modal verbs 

Second conditional

• "If" clauses, past simple and "would"
• "If" clauses, past simple and mixed modal verbs 
• "Wish" e "if only" en presente

Third conditional

• "If" clauses, had + past participle and "would have"
• "If" clauses, had + past participle and mixed modal verbs 
• "Wish" e "if only" en pasado      

Mixed conditionals

• Mixed conditionals 1
• Mixed conditionals 2

Used to + infinitive for past

• Structure of used to sentences
• Use of used to

Irregular verbs

The most common irregular verbs

• Irregular verbs in past simple 1
• Irregular verbs in past simple 2
• Irregular verbs in past simple 3
• Irregular verbs in past simple 4
• Irregular verbs ("awake" to "drive")
• Irregular verbs ("eat" to "keep")
• Irregular verbs ("know" to "shoot")
• Irregular verbs ("show" to "write")

Question and answer forms

Questions in present simple

• Question forms
• Question forms with "wh" words
• Question forms with verb "to be"
• Question forms with no auxiliary "do" or "does"
• Question forms present simple: with or without auxiliary?

Questions in present continuous

• Question forms

Questions in past simple

• Question forms with verb "to be"
• Question forms (regular verbs)
• Question forms with no auxiliary "did"
• Question forms in past simple: with or without auxiliary?      

Modal auxiliary question forms

• "Can" in simple questions (Can I help?)

Question-tags

• Question tags with the verb "to be" (you're Spanish, aren't you?)
• Question tags with auxiliaries "do" and "did" (you like pizza, don't you?)
• Question tags with various auxiliary verbs
• Question tags and exceptions to the general rules

Indirect questions

• Direct to indirect questions 1
• Direct to indirect questions 2

Short answers

• Short answers (mixed types)
• Short answers (mixed types present simple)
• Short answers (verb "to be")

Alphabet in English

• Listening to similar letter sounds
• Confusing letters (listening)

Articles

The articles: the, a and an

• Compare the use of articles "a", "an" t "the"
• Talking in general and the definite article
• Articles and place names
• Articles and specific noun groups      

Comparatives and superlatives of adjectives and adverbs

• Forming the comparative 1 (regular and irregular - taller than, etc.)
• Comparatives 2 (regular and irregular - better than, etc.)
• Forming the superlative 1 (regular and irregular - the tallest, etc.)
• Superlatives 2 (regular and irregular - the best, etc.)
• Forming the comparative of adverbs (regular and irregular - more slowly)
• Forming the superlative of adverbs (regular and irregular - the most slowly)
• Comparatives of equality (as tall as)
• Choosing the correct pronoun with comparatives (as tall as me/I am)

 

Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns

This, that, these, those

• Demonstrative adjectives (this book, that book etc.)
• Demonstrative pronouns (this, that, what are those? etc.)
• Demonstratives and time phrases (that happened years ago)

Do and make

• Differences between "do" and "make"

False friends

• Common mistakes and confusing words - Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3
• Exercise 4
• Exercise 5
• Exercise 6
• Exercise 7
• Exercise 8
• Exercise 9

Genitives

The possessive case

• Saxon genitive basic exercise (my sister's dog)
• Saxon genitive with shops and homes (the butcher's, Mary's house)
• Prepositional adjective (the top of the house)
• Adjectival genitive (the car door)
• Double genitives (a friend of Mary's)
• Saxon genitive with inanimate nouns (yesterday's meeting)      

Modal auxiliary verbs

Can, could, may, might

• "Can" in simple questions (Can I help?)
• "Can" in negative sentences (I can't help)
• "Can" in respuestas cortas (no, I can't)
• "Can", "could", "may" for asking permission or offering
• "Can", "could", "may", "might" for asking permission or offering

Must

• "Must" and "have to" differences (you have to drive on the left) 
• "Must" in first person (I must visit my mother)
• "Must" to talk about deductions in the present (he must be very clever)
• "Must" to talk about deductions in the past (it must have rained) 

Shall

• "Shall" for offering and suggestions

Should, ought to

• "Should" (ought to) for advice (you should study English)
• "Should", "ought to" for probability (it should rain tomorrow)
• "Should", "ought to" for past events that did not happen (you should have done it)

Would, (used to)

• "Would you like?" for giving instructions and offering things politely (would you like a cup of tea?) 
• "Would like" for making polite requests (I'd like a coffee, please)
• "Would" and "used to" for repeated actions and situations in the past      

Numbers

The numbers and related grammar

• Spell the numbers 0 to 20
• Spell the numbers 20 to 100
• "There is" or "there are" (singular or plural)
• When do we say "one chair" and when "a chair"?
• Listen for the numbers one to ten
• Listen for the difference between the teens and tens
• Listen for the numbers: thousands, millions, billions, trillions
• Listen for the years: 200BC, 1920, 2013, etc.
• How to write the numbers from a hundred to a thousand
• How to write the numbers: thousands, millions, billions, trillions

Passive voice

• Passive voice (guided discovery exercise)
• Passive voice (present simple)
• Passive voice (past simple)
• Passive voice (present continuous)
• Passive voice (present perfect)
• Passive voice (mixed tenses)      

Personal and possessive pronouns, possessive adjectives

• Personal subject pronouns (I, you, he, etc.)
• Personal object pronouns (me, you, him, etc.)
• Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, etc.)
• Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, etc.)

Phrasal verbs

• Phrasal verbs - Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3
• Exercise 4
• Exercise 5
• Exercise 6
• Exercise 7
• Exercise 8
• Exercise 9
• Exercise 10
• Exercise 11
• Exercise 12
• Exercise on phrasal verb "make up" and its meanings

Plural of nouns

• Plural of nouns 1
• Plural of nouns 2
• Plural of nouns as adjectives (shopping bags)
• Combining numbers with nouns to make adjectives (a two-day trip)      

Prepositions

• at, in, as prepositions of place
• in, on, as prepositions of place
• in, on, at as prepositions of time
• above, over, across
• along, through
• among, between
• around, round, about
• until / till
• prepositions of movement: up, down, into, out of, onto, off
• multiple prepositions of movement and place in a sentence
• dependent prepositions 1
• dependent prepositions 2
• dependent prepositions 3
• dependent prepositions 4

Relative pronouns and clauses

• Choose between: which, that, who and where
• Insert that or omit it
• Why, when and where as relatives
• Use of commas in relative clauses
• Omission of that - reported speech in affirmatives and negatives 1
• Omission of that - reported speech in affirmatives and negatives 2

Quantifiers

Little, few, a bit, less, fewer

• "A little" and "a few" differences 1 (a little milk)
• "A little" and "a few" differences 2 (a few cars)
• "A little" and "a few" differences 3 (a little tired)
• "A little" and "a few" compared with "much" and "many"
• "A little" compared with "a bit" and "a bit of"
• Comparatives: "less" and "fewer"

Some, any, no, anything, nothing, etc

• Use of "some" and "any" in affirmatives, negatives and questions
• Use of "some", "any","a", "an" in affirmatives, negatives and questions
• Use of "any" in negative sentences (never, hardly ever, etc.)
• Use of "something", "anything","nothing" etc. in affirmatives, negatives and questions
• Use of "not + any" and "no" - comparison      

Much, many, a lot, lots, too much, too many, enough

• Use of "much", "many", "a lot", "lots" (mixed types)
• "How many?" and "how much?"
• "Much", "many", "a lot", "lots" as pronouns
• "Much", "many" in comparative sentences (she's much better than he is)
• "Much", "many" in questions (is there much coffee?)
• "Much", "many" in negative sentences (there isn't much coffee)
• "Much", "many" with "too" (too much pollution)
• "Enough" with quantities
• "Much", "many" with "a lot" (formal, informal)
• Use and position of "enough" in a sentence (not tall enough, etc.)

Reported speech

• Changing from direct to reported speech in affirmative and negatives 1
• Changing from direct to reported speech in affirmative and negatives 2
• Other words that change in reported speech

Say and tell

• Differences between say and tell

There is / there are

• "There is / are" present simple, verb "to be"
• "There is / are " present and past simple, verb "to be"
• "There is / are" mixture of tenses and auxiliaries 1
• "There is / are" mixture of tenses and auxiliaries 2

Used to (be, get used to)

• Differences between be used to and get used to

Word pairs (differences)

• "Fast" and "quick"
• "Say" and "tell"
• "Trip" and "journey"
• "Space" and "place"
• "Argue" and "discuss"
• "Commit" and "compromise"
• "Humour" and "mood"

 

Prefixes and suffixes

• Suffixes B1 1
• Suffixes B1 2
• Prefixes

B1 level material, Cambridge Preliminary for adults and/or schools.

Cambridge English PET exam practice

• PET speaking test Part 1...
• PET speaking test Part 2 (example 1)...
• PET speaking test Part 2 (example 2)...
• PET speaking test Part 3...
• PET speaking test Part 4...
• PET writing test Part 1...
• PET writing test Part 2 (story)...
• PET listening test Part 4...

B1 level - listening

A selection of B1 grammar to listen to and read...

Learn B1 grammar through stories...

B2 level material, Cambridge FCE, IELTS, Trinity

• B2 practice contents page

B2 level - listening

A selection of B2 grammar to listen to and read...

Learn B2 grammar through stories...

Cambridge English First Certificate exam practice

• FCE (and IELTS) speaking test Part 1...
• FCE (and IELTS) speaking test Part 2...
• FCE (and IELTS) speaking test Part 3...
• FCE (and IELTS) speaking test Part 4...

Writing a hotel review:

Hotel reviews are no longer included in the Cambridge FCE writing paper. I leave these here for other students who wish to study hotel description language.

• Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3
• Exercise 4
• Exercise 5
• Exercise 6
• Exercise 7

Informal letter-writing

• Exercise 1
• Exercise 2
• Exercise 3
• Exercise 4
• Exercise 5
• Exercise 6

B2 Vocabulary

• Road safety
• Deception...

Useful English vocabulary

B2+ Exercises to learn English vocabulary

• Vegetables
• Fruit and nuts
• Furniture and furnishings
• Kitchen utensils
• Domestic appliances
• The garden
• Tools
• Clothes
• Bathroom cupboard
• The house
• The car
• Parts of the body
• Animals
• The weather
• The music business
• Fiction books and publishing vocabulary

Idioms

• Idioms at work 1
• Idioms at work 2
• Idioms relationships

Collocations

• Work
• Computer
• Meetings
• Business
• Employment
• Hour
• Mind
• Materials

Dependent prepositions

• Dependent prepositions 1 (C1)...
• Dependent prepositions 2 (C1)...
• Dependent prepositions 3 (B2)...
• Dependent prepositions 4 (B2)...

 

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